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clarabooksit's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Classism
Moderate: Slavery, Murder, and Police brutality
aksmith92's review
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What an innovative fantasy book! It also combined a dash of historical context about one of my favorite places: Washington, DC. Therefore, I just had a great time with this novel.
The setup: We follow Clara Johnson, a woman living and working in Washington DC, after dark moments when she was thrown in jail. She works as a typist for a pretty arrogant man but knows the work is essential to the Black community. However, on the side, she also meddles with spirits, or Enigmas, because she has the "second sight." People will come to her to get a Charm - something Enigmas will hand out to humans to help them - but only with a Trick, making their lives more challenging.
Soon, Clara notices some of her friends and neighbors are starting to go missing. When a concerned mother comes to her about her son, who looks absolutely in a daze and cannot speak, Clara is sure that the spirits are to blame. This novel works through Clara trying to figure out who is at fault and what can be done about these folks controlled by spirits. While figuring out the details, Clara is tasked with finding and stealing a magical ring, which may be the reason for the spirits and afflicted humans. Therefore, she and a team of lovely characters take on this heist. It was such a fun and exciting ride, and it had unique storytelling.
Integrated into the fantasy novel was also some incredible historical context about the Black community in Washington DC and some of the atrocities that went down during this period (1919-1925ish). Yet, it was also a fantastic display of the community's growth and perseverance to make a great life for themselves. Leslye Penelope's Author Note at the end of the novel was beautiful, and I highly encourage you to include that in the final reading chapters.
What I loved: I thoroughly enjoyed the characters - Clara was a tough-minded woman who always spoke her truth, which could not have been easy in the timeframe. This book also had a lovely found-family aspect - the wonderful characters of Aristotle, Jesse Lee, and Zelda. Plus, we had the lovely and charming Israel Lee. I was glad to see that Penelope was able to integrate a lot of these characters' backstories into the novel, as we were able to catch a glimpse into their personalities. Zelda was one of my favorite characters in this novel; she had such a layered personality and provided her friends great insight (and comedic relief).
I also thoroughly enjoyed this plot - while ghosts and the spirit world are not new themes, I thought Penelope did it justice with unique worldbuilding and exciting subplots, especially with the charms/tricks component. I also loved Clara's connection with her late grandmother and how that was integrated into the story. Penelope's integration with these fantastical elements alongside actual historical context in 1920s Washington, DC, was also phenomenal. I thought it was a nice touch to weave these historical components (like real historical people like DeBois!) into this novel.
Overall, I was deeply immersed - there is a bit of fantasy, a bit of a mystery, and even a splash of a love story. I had a lovely time with it and think Penelope is a fantastic writer!
What could've happened for a higher rating: I think the pacing fell a little short for me, and I'm trying to figure out why. I think it is because most of the book was about planning for the heist and then only briefly getting to it. The action was relatively minimal but still had very interesting components. It took me some time to finish this book, which is pretty abnormal for me, so maybe that's where I'm going when I say pacing issues.
Lastly, I was a bit confused at the end with some of the Engima...fighting? I won't go into detail about spoilers, but the end of the heist scene was thrown together quickly and was confusing with the rest of the mostly intriguing and organized plot around the spirits. Even though I had some questions about the heist scene, it was the most action-packed, which I appreciated. I was on the edge of my seat, wondering how it would all come together!
Overall, it was a great novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. In my opinion, heists are challenging to do, and Penelope did it well. I look forward to reading some of her other material in the future!
The setup: We follow Clara Johnson, a woman living and working in Washington DC, after dark moments when she was thrown in jail. She works as a typist for a pretty arrogant man but knows the work is essential to the Black community. However, on the side, she also meddles with spirits, or Enigmas, because she has the "second sight." People will come to her to get a Charm - something Enigmas will hand out to humans to help them - but only with a Trick, making their lives more challenging.
Soon, Clara notices some of her friends and neighbors are starting to go missing. When a concerned mother comes to her about her son, who looks absolutely in a daze and cannot speak, Clara is sure that the spirits are to blame. This novel works through Clara trying to figure out who is at fault and what can be done about these folks controlled by spirits. While figuring out the details, Clara is tasked with finding and stealing a magical ring, which may be the reason for the spirits and afflicted humans. Therefore, she and a team of lovely characters take on this heist. It was such a fun and exciting ride, and it had unique storytelling.
Integrated into the fantasy novel was also some incredible historical context about the Black community in Washington DC and some of the atrocities that went down during this period (1919-1925ish). Yet, it was also a fantastic display of the community's growth and perseverance to make a great life for themselves. Leslye Penelope's Author Note at the end of the novel was beautiful, and I highly encourage you to include that in the final reading chapters.
What I loved: I thoroughly enjoyed the characters - Clara was a tough-minded woman who always spoke her truth, which could not have been easy in the timeframe. This book also had a lovely found-family aspect - the wonderful characters of Aristotle, Jesse Lee, and Zelda. Plus, we had the lovely and charming Israel Lee. I was glad to see that Penelope was able to integrate a lot of these characters' backstories into the novel, as we were able to catch a glimpse into their personalities. Zelda was one of my favorite characters in this novel; she had such a layered personality and provided her friends great insight (and comedic relief).
I also thoroughly enjoyed this plot - while ghosts and the spirit world are not new themes, I thought Penelope did it justice with unique worldbuilding and exciting subplots, especially with the charms/tricks component. I also loved Clara's connection with her late grandmother and how that was integrated into the story. Penelope's integration with these fantastical elements alongside actual historical context in 1920s Washington, DC, was also phenomenal. I thought it was a nice touch to weave these historical components (like real historical people like DeBois!) into this novel.
Overall, I was deeply immersed - there is a bit of fantasy, a bit of a mystery, and even a splash of a love story. I had a lovely time with it and think Penelope is a fantastic writer!
What could've happened for a higher rating: I think the pacing fell a little short for me, and I'm trying to figure out why. I think it is because most of the book was about planning for the heist and then only briefly getting to it. The action was relatively minimal but still had very interesting components. It took me some time to finish this book, which is pretty abnormal for me, so maybe that's where I'm going when I say pacing issues.
Lastly, I was a bit confused at the end with some of the Engima...fighting? I won't go into detail about spoilers, but the end of the heist scene was thrown together quickly and was confusing with the rest of the mostly intriguing and organized plot around the spirits. Even though I had some questions about the heist scene, it was the most action-packed, which I appreciated. I was on the edge of my seat, wondering how it would all come together!
Overall, it was a great novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. In my opinion, heists are challenging to do, and Penelope did it well. I look forward to reading some of her other material in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Classism, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Death, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, and Slavery
Minor: Alcohol, Confinement, and Pregnancy
carefulfearanddeaddevotion's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
OMG!!!! My fav book of the year so far! (sorry Seven Husbands)
Very very few issues, to the point where I can't even verbalize them.
Absolutely adore the characters. They're just the kind I like: a l(ot)ittle damaged, sassy, a little bitchy, magical, charismatic. Israel Lee, I wish you were real so I could kiss you on your mouth<3<3 Clara Johnson, you're cool too, don't get me wrong, but he's so so perfect <3 I love him and Clara together: confident, kind-hearted ladies man falling for the grumpy closed off girl? sign me the fuck up. The rest of the cast is really cool too, the villains aren't extremely fleshed out, but it works cause they're sprits.
The plot was also really up my alley, urban magic? a heist?? a ragtag group??? yes yes yes. I really loved exploring 1920s DC, and how the black people who lived there managed to carve out their own space despite Jim Crow. I also liked that besidesthe cop Clara killed before the start of the story and passing mentions (usually when discussing racism), white people were casually absent from the story.
Highly highly recommend.
Very very few issues, to the point where I can't even verbalize them.
Absolutely adore the characters. They're just the kind I like: a l(ot)ittle damaged, sassy, a little bitchy, magical, charismatic. Israel Lee, I wish you were real so I could kiss you on your mouth<3<3 Clara Johnson, you're cool too, don't get me wrong, but he's so so perfect <3 I love him and Clara together: confident, kind-hearted ladies man falling for the grumpy closed off girl? sign me the fuck up. The rest of the cast is really cool too, the villains aren't extremely fleshed out, but it works cause they're sprits.
The plot was also really up my alley, urban magic? a heist?? a ragtag group??? yes yes yes. I really loved exploring 1920s DC, and how the black people who lived there managed to carve out their own space despite Jim Crow. I also liked that besides
Highly highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Trafficking, Murder, Racism, Violence, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Abandonment, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Alcohol, Gun violence, and Infidelity
Minor: Confinement, Ableism, Sexual assault, Body horror, and Pregnancy
mal_reads_books's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was one of the more interesting stories I've read in a while. I loved how rich and immersive the setting was. It felt authentic and was full of fun, dynamic, unique characters. To me, this was the most enjoyable aspect of the book.
The side characters’ abilities and their backstories involving the deals they made with the spirits were also interesting. I actually preferred these characters over the protagonist, Clara, whom I didn't care much for. I loved how they were all misfits who banded together and became a "found family." I liked how the story included cameos of real Black historical figures like Langston Hughes. Even Clara was based on a real person.
Additionally, the author did a good job weaving themes of classism, colorism, and racism into the story. She handled these heavy topics well, approaching them with nuance.
While the writing was generally engaging, the story had pacing issues in that it lost my attention at times. This was usually whenever a new character was introduced with an introductory chapter; it would take me out of the story for a bit.
And while I did like the characters, I felt they could've have been better developed. Not sure why, but I kept getting two of the side guys, Aristotle and Jesse Lee, mixed up.
All in all, it was a pretty good, thought-provoking read. It has room for improvement, but is worth checking out. I'd love to see a movie adaptation for this.
The side characters’ abilities and their backstories involving the deals they made with the spirits were also interesting. I actually preferred these characters over the protagonist, Clara, whom I didn't care much for. I loved how they were all misfits who banded together and became a "found family." I liked how the story included cameos of real Black historical figures like Langston Hughes. Even Clara was based on a real person.
Additionally, the author did a good job weaving themes of classism, colorism, and racism into the story. She handled these heavy topics well, approaching them with nuance.
While the writing was generally engaging, the story had pacing issues in that it lost my attention at times. This was usually whenever a new character was introduced with an introductory chapter; it would take me out of the story for a bit.
And while I did like the characters, I felt they could've have been better developed. Not sure why, but I kept getting two of the side guys, Aristotle and Jesse Lee, mixed up.
All in all, it was a pretty good, thought-provoking read. It has room for improvement, but is worth checking out. I'd love to see a movie adaptation for this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Racism
Moderate: Violence, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Slavery
Colorism is mentioned; this goes hand in hand with classism among African-Americans.displacedcactus's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This is a "getting a crew together for a heist" book set in a magic-tinged 1920s Washington, DC, specifically focused on the Black community. Our characters need to get a magic ring that is somehow warping peoples' minds and making them disappear. That sounds complicated enough, but there's even more going on than is immediately apparent.
I just didn't really vibe with this book. I didn't dislike it, but I never fully connected to the characters, especially the main character, Clara, who has A Secret. I don't have a lot of patience for MCs who have A Secret that they keep from the reader for as long as possible, and even more so since I felt like her secret didn't really end up contributing that much to the plot.
I also didn't feel very convinced by the motivation of the Big Bad, so it was hard to really buy into the stakes of the story.
There were some pretty likeable side characters, and 1920s DC made for a good setting, so I suspect other readers will enjoy this one a lot more than I did.
I just didn't really vibe with this book. I didn't dislike it, but I never fully connected to the characters, especially the main character, Clara, who has A Secret. I don't have a lot of patience for MCs who have A Secret that they keep from the reader for as long as possible, and even more so since I felt like her secret didn't really end up contributing that much to the plot.
I also didn't feel very convinced by the motivation of the Big Bad, so it was hard to really buy into the stakes of the story.
There were some pretty likeable side characters, and 1920s DC made for a good setting, so I suspect other readers will enjoy this one a lot more than I did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexism
puttingwingsonwords's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Trafficking, Ableism, Police brutality, Racism, Racial slurs, Violence, Confinement, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Homophobia
alisylvi's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Racism
Moderate: Police brutality, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Racial slurs
nrogers_1030's review
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Classism, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Bullying, Police brutality, Racism, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol
saricostanzo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, Slavery, Confinement, Classism, Trafficking, and Violence
just_one_more_paige's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was an impulse grab from the library a week or so ago, and, after finishing it, I am thrilled by that decision. The cover is really eye-catching and after skimming the synopsis, it just felt like it would be different from anything I had really read before...which turned out to be absolutely true. Plus, I really recommend reading the historical information afterwards, as I learned a lot about some of the "real" stories behind the characters that Penelope created/adapted for the novel, including the main character and the Washington DC "race riot" in 1919, as well as information about Black Broadway (U street), and Black youth with albinism being kidnapped and used in circus side-shows. Anyways, there was a lot about this novel that intrigued and entertained, so let me get to the review!
Clara Johnson was born with the "gift" of being able to talk to spirits. A gift that saved her a few years ago, when she spent time in jail after the 1919 race "riot" in Washington DC. But one that also haunts her, and has left her with a debt to a particular spirit, and Enigma, called The Empress. When The Empress offers to clear her debt if she steals a particular, and very magical, ring from a powerful personage, she takes the risk. However, the task is a pretty big one, so in order to pull of the heist, she gathers a team of others who have debts they too want to be rid of, including an actor who can change his face, a musician whose music has the power to hypnotize, someone who can make people forget short periods of time, and Clara's roommate, who has no debt to a spirit, but whose previous life in the circus left her with a lot of skills that come in useful in situations of theft. As this team plans their heist, they realize that the conflict over the ring in the spirit world is spilling over in their world, and they must complete their quest not only to get rid of their debts, but to save the entire city.
So yes, I have really never read anything with this setting before. The combination of time period, place and population was completely new to me and I really enjoyed the new experience. One, because that's a favorite part of reading for me, the new and never ending variety of perspectives. And two, because Penelope does a flipping phenomenal job bringing the setting to life. The sense of time and place is so vivid, from the day-to-day life and living arrangements to the clothing to the ways people spend free time to the social and political realities of DC's Black Broadway. This is historical fiction at its finest, as far as really bringing said history to life for the reader. It is clear that Penelope was invested in the research and getting this history told "right." And using such a solid historical setting as a basis for this otherwise magical and adventurous story was a fantastically deployed framework.
The magical aspects of this novel were also great. I really enjoyed all the different types of spirits, ghosts, haints, Greys, Enigmas, and the slight differences in their powers and connections to Clara. Paranormal stories of this vibe, that have the slightly spooky *chill* factor, but don't ever cross the line to truly scary, are my supernatural sweet spot. The idea of spirits granting "charms" with an attendant "trick," a la the "be careful what you wish for" trope, is not a new concept, but I liked how Penelope used it here. She was so creative with the way they were related, like a darker side of the thing a person wished for. And, of course, I can't forget the heist. Honestly, I just find heist stories to be fun and entertaining. And this was no different. The reluctant team-up aspects of this one (and attendant unexpected romance - *butterflies*) added a nice extra dash of drama and stakes. Seeing Clara start to bring down some of her walls, making friends with the rest of her team and starting to actually enjoy life, after her traumatic recent past, was lovely character development as well. While I'm on the subject of characters, I also want to recognize Clara's roommate, Zelda, as my favorite. Ladies that have those swashbuckling vibes are always my favorites.
This was such a lively and diverting book. I had fun following Clara et al on their magical heist adventures, as they went from teammates to friends and found their way(s) back to the lives they had always hoped to live. The plot and character development were well balanced and paced, and the historical setting was fantastic. Just a really solid read!
“The thing that was coming would play itself out, the way these things always did. Knowing something was going to happen and being able to stop it were two different things.”
“There was something worse than failure - hopelessness. She didn't want to believe that the hope burgeoning deep in his breast would be for naught. The taste of possible freedom was addictive, but now she wasn't certain it hadn't been poison.”
“Life was about surviving, putting one foot in front of the other to make it from day to day. She well knew it could also be about poetry and creativity and purpose. Camaraderie and friendship and love. But those had always seemed like lofty ideas for other people.”
“Those in debt are rarely satisfied with the terms of their deals. And those who think they can control the ones who owe them are often surprised.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Classism, Death, Slavery, Trafficking, Grief, Racism, Body shaming, Violence, and Alcohol